Avery stares down at Nanny's pale hand, but Nanny's index finger is still. It doesn't seem to have moved at all.
"Call the doctor," Avery says. "Hurry!"
The doctor rushes into the room, his white coat flying behind him. He stops short when he sees Evan, and smooths his hair and straightens his coat. He reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a small flashlight. He opens Nanny's eyelids and shines the light into her eyes. He listens to her heart and then checks the readout from her heart monitor.
"Her vital signs look completely normal," the doctor says. "If her finger did move, that's a very good sign. We can't be sure, of course, but it may an that her brain is active and responding to sounds around her."
"She's always been around sound," the nurse says. "I talk to her, and I leave the radio on for her. I even play her recordings of her son and Avery, but she's never reacted to any of it."
"These things can be a bit random, but it's possible she had no emotional reaction to the sounds she heard before," the doctor says. He looks around the room. "Has anything changed?"
Avery looks up at Evan. She knows that comas are complicated, but she can't help feeling hurt. Why would Nanny respond to Evan's voice but not hers? She looks at Nanny's wrinkled face and wonders what's going on in her mind.
"It could have nothing to do with the person who spoke," the doctor says quickly. "It may have to do with the tone of Mr. Howel's voice or even the content of what he said. For example, if Mr. Howel said sothing that would shock, upset, or even delight her, it could have caused a reaction."
"So what if I recorded Evan saying the sa thing over and over and asked the nurse to play it for Nanny?" Avery asks the doctor. "Would that work? Could it help her wake from her coma?"
"Probably not," the doctor says. "Hearing the sa news over and over won't have the sa effect on her brain as hearing it for the first ti. It'd be better for him to talk to her in personthat way, we can monitor her response and see how she reacts to his words." The doctor glances at Evan quickly and then quickly added, "Of course, if Mr. Howel is too busy, a recording may work."
"How many days a week should we co to visit her?" Avery asks the doctor.
Avery laces her fingers through Evan's, and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. The doctor studies his chart and then looks up at Evan. He raises his eyebrows in question as if he wants Evan's approval.
"Excuse , but she's my relative," Avery says. "Why are you looking at my husband instead of ?"
"III just know that Mr. Howel has a busy schedule," the doctor stamrs. "I don't want to ask him to co and speak to her when we don't even know for sure if he's the reason her finger moved. In fact, we don't even know if her finger really moved at all."
"Just give a number," Avery says.
"Umm, three or four days a week for an hour at a ti should be good," the doctor says.
"Get out," Evan says. As he speaks, his lip curls, and his face darkens.
"Of course, sir," the doctor says.
Avery watches the doctor rushed out of the room and tugs her hand away from Evan. She can't help feeling disappointed. She knows that Evan is too busy to visit Nanny four tis a week, but she wishes he'd be kinder about it.
"I know you're too busy to do what the doctor said, but you didn't have to terrify the poor man," Avery says.
"Did I say I was too busy?" Evan asks.
"Are you willing to do it?" Avery asks, hardly daring to hope.
It's difficult to imagine Evan sitting in the hospital room. What would he even talk about? He's always been a man of few words, and he hates small talk. She looks at Nanny and wonders why the woman responded to Evan's voice? Was it his deep tone, or was it because he said they're going to remarry?"Yes, I'm willing," Evan says simply. "But I want you to ask nicely."
"Please, Evan," Avery says, widening her eyes and pouting her lips. "Will you please co to visit Nanny?"
"Not like that," Evan says with a smirk. "I want you to beg and not with your words."
He turns around and strides toward the door, and she has to rush to keep up with him. He throws the door open, almost hitting the doctor. The doctor is panting slightly, and there's a sheen of sweat on his forehead; his glasses are hanging crookedly on his face.
"Mr. and Mrs. Howel, I have an update on the patient's condition," the doctor says. The doctor looks between Evan and Avery before passing a paper to Evan. "We detected a drug in her body while doing so routine blood work. We haven't identified what it is yet, but we're running every test possible."
"A drug?" Avery asks. "You're sure it's not one of the dications you're giving her?"
"We're positive," the doctor says, frowning.
"How long will it take to get results?" Evan asks the doctor.
"If we're lucky, we'll figure out what the drug is quick," the doctor says. "Unfortunately, so of the tests take a week. We'll send you any results as soon as we get them."
Avery chews her lip as she walks to the car. Is soone drugging, Nanny? Why would they want to drug a woman who's already in a coma? It doesn't make any sense. She hopes the doctor's team will get results soon, but she wishes she could talk to Charles. Nanny's current doctor is supposed to be very good, but he doesn't compare to Charles.
"What are you thinking?" Evan asks, lifting her hand to his lips. "Do you know how you're going to beg ?"
He licks the tip of her finger and then sucks it into his mouth. Avery jerks her hand away and wipes the wet finger on her pants.
"I haven't washed my hands recently," she snaps.
"You're so unromantic," Evan says, rolling his eyes.
He opens the car door for her and slides into the backseat. Though the back of the car is roomy, he sits right next to her, pressing the side of his leg into hers. He leans in and kisses her shoulder through the thin fabric of her shirt. Avery bites her lip.
"I know how I'm going to beg you," she whispers.
"Oh?" Evan asks, arching his eyebrows.
"I'll give you a preview," she says.
She leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips. She pulls away and gently strokes his jaw. Then she leans in again and kisses him. He tangles his fingers in her hair and pulls her head toward him, but she turns her face away.
"I want proof that you're going to hold up your end," she says. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out the recording pen. "The doctor said that it's better for you to visit in person, but I don't expect you to go four tis a week. We can play recordings for Nanny on the other days."
"What should I say?" Evan asks, taking the pen and tapped it against his chin.
Avery stares at him. His eyes narrowed in concentration, and he smiles slyly.
"I've only ever had one woman: you," Evan says. "It was only you in the past, only you now, and it'll only be you in the future. Do you rember when I asked you to hit four tis when the snake bit ? You didn't do it then, but I want you to do it now."
Avery recognizes his words imdiatelyhe's quoting the recording she left for him when she went to et Andrew. He's barely changed a single word. She sits frozen in place. How many tis did he listen to that recording? She wonders. He seems to have morized the whole thing. He even pauses where I paused and breathes where I breathed.
"I want you to love more than ever because I love you," Evan continues. The baby is ours. I want to have it."
His deep voice is soft and low. Without realizing it, Avery leans toward him. He takes her chin in his hand and kisses her deeply. Too soon, he pulls away and kisses the tip of her nose.
"At the end of the recording, you told to co to find you," Evan says. "What if our situations were reversed? Would you co to find ?"
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